Description
Fragrant Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments are an easy holiday craft made from applesauce, cinnamon, and school glue. Roll, cut, dry, and decorate them to create rustic Christmas ornaments, keepsakes, or gift tags.
Ingredients
1 cup (240 g) applesauce
1 to 1¼ cups (about 130 g) ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves (optional, for a deeper fragrance)
2 tablespoons white school glue (like Elmer’s)
Optional: 1 teaspoon cornstarch (helps them dry faster in humid climates)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the applesauce, ground cinnamon, optional ground cloves, white school glue, and optional cornstarch.
- Stir until the mixture begins to come together, then use your hands to work it into a firm but pliable dough similar to soft modeling clay. If it is too wet, add cinnamon 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too crumbly, add a small amount of applesauce.
- Place about one-third of the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll it approximately ¼ to ⅓ inch thick.
- Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutters. Carefully transfer the shapes to a baking rack or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Use a drinking straw to make a small hanging hole near the top of each ornament. Gather and reroll the scraps and repeat with the remaining dough.
- For the oven method, preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Arrange the ornaments on a baking rack positioned over a baking sheet and dry for about 2½ hours, flipping halfway through. Allow them to cool and dry completely before decorating.
- For the air-dry method, arrange the ornaments on racks or parchment paper in a dry, well-ventilated area. Air dry for 2 to 4 days, turning once or twice for even drying.
- Once completely dry, gently smooth rough edges with fine-grit sandpaper if desired. Decorate with glitter, puffy paint, rhinestones, markers, or other lightweight craft supplies, or leave them plain.
- Add a year, name, or other personalization with permanent marker if desired. Thread ribbon, twine, or an ornament hook through each hole and hang only after the ornaments and decorations are completely dry.
Notes
These ornaments contain white school glue and are strictly decorative. Do not eat them or use them as edible decorations.
Larger or thicker ornaments may require additional drying time, especially in humid conditions.
Adding the optional cornstarch can help with drying in humid climates.
Flip ornaments halfway through oven drying to encourage even drying and reduce curling.
Use stars, trees, gingerbread people, snowflakes, bells, hearts, animals, or other cookie cutter shapes.
Names, initials, dates, and patterns can be pressed into the dough before drying to create personalized keepsakes.
Store completely dry ornaments wrapped gently in tissue paper inside an airtight, sturdy container in a cool, dry location.
Properly dried and stored ornaments can last for years.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Not edible
- Calories: 0 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
